Examining a Sampling of Immigrant Descendants in Berlin's Federal Administration
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Relatively Few Offspring of Immigrants Held in U.S. Government Positions - Relatively Few Family Members of Immigrants Hold Positions in Federal Government
Despite continuous efforts to boost diversity, immigrants and their offspring remain comparatively scarce within Berlin's federal administration. This assertion is backed by findings published recently by the Integration Commissioner's office. Last year, personnel with a migrant background made up 16.2% of federal employees - a 3.1% rise over the previous five years.
In comparison, the percentage of people with a migrant background from the working-age population stands at 31.9%, nearly double the federal employee figure. For the purpose of the study, employees with a migrant background are identified as those whose birth parents or they themselves do not hold German citizenship.
Integration Commissioner Natalie Pawlik voices concern
"The federal administration could be leveraging the talents of individuals with an immigration background to a far greater extent. We need to bring about change," Commissioner Pawlik stated.
A survey conducted last year, which questioned more than 50,000 employees in 73 federal offices, laid the groundwork for these findings. The released data also sheds light on the fact that employees with a migrant background in the federal administration tend to experience discrimination more frequently than their coworkers of non-immigrant descent. Discrimination could stem from factors like gender, age, ethnicity, religion, physical disabilities, family obligations, appearance, skin color, and the absence of professional networks.
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Discrimination based on ethnicity
While 15.6% of employees with no immigration history reported encounters with discrimination, the rate was 23.6% among those who arrived in Germany themselves. Among the offspring of immigrants, over a fourth (25.6%) revealed experiences of workplace discrimination.
Back in January, the federal government adopted a plan titled "Shared Goals for Greater Diversity in the Federal Administration." However, the document did not establish specific guidelines for addressing these issues. Suggestions included the establishment of individual measures based on diversity goals set by the federal authorities and the promotion of employee networks.
- Federal administration
- Survey
- Migrant background
- Berlin
- Discrimination
(Enrichment) Insights Into the Problem
The underrepresentation of immigrants and their descendants within Berlin's federal administration can be attributed to a confluence of structural and organizational constraints, including hiring practices rooted in traditional credentials, deep-seated organizational cultures that thwart inclusive hiring practices, skills and labor market disparities, and limited career advancement opportunities with few non-immigrant managers.
Recent research on this topic has illuminated the persistence of underrepresentation and workplace discrimination:
- Discrimination During Hiring and Employment: Immigrants and their descendants have reported biased hiring decisions and clandestine exclusionary practices during recruitment and employment processes.
- Systemic Barriers: Encrusted recruitment norms and the lack of targeted diversity measures perpetuate a predominantly non-immigrant work environment.
- Advocacy for Skills-based Hiring: The push for recruitment practices emphasizing skills over formal qualifications could expand the talent pool and increase immigrant representation, making the hiring process fairer.
- Need for Organizational Evolution: Improved inclusivity within public institutions requires significant cultural changes and the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs tailored to immigrants and their descendants.
- The study on employees in Berlin's federal administration revealed that despite a 3.1% increase over the past five years, individuals with a migrant background still represent a comparatively lower percentage in the federal administration compared to the working-age population.
- The underrepresentation of immigrants and their descendants in Berlin's federal administration is attributed to various structural and organizational constraints, such as traditional hiring practices, organizational cultures that prevent inclusive hiring, skills and labor market disparities, and limited career advancement opportunities with few non-immigrant managers.
